Display device for garment collars



Jan. 8, 1963 P. c. MACRIDES DISPLAY DEVICE FOR GARMENT COLLARS Filed April 19, 1960 INVENTOR PHILIP C. MACRIDES BY gwiulw ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,072,306 DISPLAY DEVICE FOR GARMENT COLLARS Philip C. Macrides, Troy, N.Y., assignor to Cluett, Peabody & 01., line, Troy, NY. Filed Apr. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 23,239 2 Claims. (ill. 223-434) This invention relates to a display device for a garment collar, and more particularly to a display device for resiliently supporting the roll in the cape portion of a garment collar when the garment is packaged for sale to a customer.

The construction of present day collars for garments, such as mens shirts, includes a neckband portion and a cape portion. The cape portion is generally provided with a slight roll in the area adjacent to its connection to the collar portion, or in the fold line area as provided in one piece collar constructions. This roll gives a more pleasing appearance to the collar, particularly when worn with a necktie, and it is generally provided not only in soft collars and sport shirts, but also in the stiffer fused collars.

Since shirts are usually packaged by manufacturers for shipment to dealers in boxes containing several shirts and since shirts are often stacked by the dealers on display shelves, the cape portion of these shirts is apt to become flattened and the two forward ends of the cape portions forming the necktie opening is apt to become displaced and provide an unsymmetrical necktie area. Such an appearance is uninviting to the customer and presents an unrealistic appearance as compared with the symmetrical opening between the leading edges of the cape portion and the natural appearing roll in the collar when the shirt is worn.

Various devices have been used in an attempt to align the collar but none have provided a resilient, surface support for the cape portion to maintain a natural roll when the shirt is displayed for sale to the customer. It is, of course, important that these display devices do not themselves present an objectionable appearance. Such devices as have been used do not provide a resilience to spring back into shape once they are crushed and they do not provide a full surface contact to support the roll areas of the cape portion. Instead, they permit the roll area to sag in an unpleasing manner.

The display device of the present invention is constructed to resiliently and fully support the roll area of a collar and also to align the leading edges of the cape portion of the collar to provide a natural appearing collar during display for sale to a customer. The present display device is formed of a sheet plastic having a securing means in the form of a slot which engages the collar neckband button to secure the device in position. Extending arm portions are provided to reach the fold line between the collar neckband and the cape portion areas. These arms terminate in convolutions forming scroll-like portions which follow the fold line backwardly for a suitable distance from the leading edge of the cap portion of the collar. The scroll-like portions support the roll in the cape portion with a full surface contact and provide a resilience which returns the roll to its natural shape even if crushed during packaging and stacking of the shirts. Additionally, since the arms extend to the fold of the collar, they maintain the fold line at the two front edges of the cape portion in alignment and thereby assure a symmetrical necktie opening.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device for garment collars which resiliently supports the cape portion of a garment collar when the garment is packaged for sale to a customer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide 'ice a display device which resiliently supports the roll in the cape portion of a garment collar with full surface contact.

Another object of the present device is to provide a display device for a garment collar which aligns the leading edges of a shirt collar to provide a symmetrical necktie area and which is not itself objectionable in appearance.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a display device illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the display device shown in FIG. 1 with the display device positioned on a garment collar which is shown in phantom; and

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view along line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, the display device as shown includes a body 10 formed of sheet plastic material of suitable thickness and resilience characteristics. The thickness and resilience should be such as to provide a firm support for the collar and yet return the display device to its desired shape after a deforming force is removed. A clear sheet of plastic is prefered in forming the display device so that the device will be as inconspicuous as possible and so that it will not detract from the appearance of the garment on which it is used.

The body 10 is formed with securing means which comprises a slot 11. The slot 11 preferably extends a sufficient distance upwardly and along the center line of the body 10 for ease of attachment to a collar button, although it will be apparent that other slot configurations would also serve the intended function. The width of the slot 11 is proportioned to fit tightly around the stitching which attaches the collar button to the neckband of a garment so that the device is securely attached. The remainder of the body portion may be any convenient shape provided it does not interfere with the positioning of the device on a garment collar. When the display device is positioned on a garment collar, as shown in FIG. 2, the slot 11 will serve to secure the device on the garment collar in its desired position.

Extending upwardly and outwardly from both sides of the body portion are arms 12 and 13. With the display device positioned on a garment collar, the arms 12 and 13 are of sufficient length to reach to the fold line between the collar neckband portion and the cape portion of the garment. The arms 12 and 13 are or" a sufficient width to extend along the fold line for a suitable distance from a point slightly inside of the leading edges of the cape portion of the collar, and in this manner the arms 12 and 13 control movement of the fold line in a downwardly direction. Thus, a three point triangular arrangement is provided between the collar button and the fold line at the two ends of the cape portion of the collar so that the display device maintains the symmetrical necktie opening of the collar.

In accordance with the present invention, means are formed on the ends of arms 12 and 13 for providing a resilient, surface support for the roll formed in the cape portion of a garment collar near its leading edge and in the area adjacent to the fold line. These resilient means comprise convolutions of at least a half turn which provide scroll-like portions 14 and 15 at the ends of the arms. The scroll-like portions 14 and 15 extend parallel to the fold line of the collar and have a decreasing radius fol lowing backwardly from the leading edge. The decreasing radius conforms to the natural lines of the roll but does not destroy the resilience of the scroll-like portions 14 and 15.

It will be seen that when the display device is positioned on a garment collar, the scroll-like portions 14 and 15 provide both a resilience to resist crushing and a full surface support for the roll area of the cape portion to maintain a pleasing natural roll in the cape portion when the garment is displayed for sale to customers. Additionally, the display device maintains the alignment of the fold line and leading edges of the shirt collar to provide a symmetrical necktie area. Therefore, the present display device assures a pleasing and natural appearance to the shirt collar when the shirt is being displayed for sale to a customer.

Although I have only illustrated one embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the display device herein described and shown may be modified without defeating the purposes and objects of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A display device for a garment of the type having a collar attached along a fold line to a neckband and which collar when folded over said neckband along said fold line presents spaced collar cape portions on opposite sides of a necktie area, said display device comprising a body portion having means for being secured in place in said necktie area, a pair of arms on said body portion extending in opposite directions therefrom and adapted to extend under each collar cape portion to said fold line, and identical involute cone shaped configurations formed A; on the side edges of the arms remote from the securing means on the body portion, each said configuration having at least one full involute turn for its entire length which is of a decreasing radius in the direction away from said body portion, whereby weight exerted on the collar support increases the number of involute turns of each configuration and when said weight is removed each configuration unwinds to its original condition to function as a resilient support providing a roll appearance to said collar cape portions.

2. A display device for a garment as in claim 1, said body portion having a U-shaped cut formed in said body portion above said securing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,700,075 Richardson Jan. 22, 1929 1,899,602 Alexander Feb. 28, 1933 2,587,491 Less Feb. 26, 1952 2,822,114 Noojin et a1. Feb. 4, 1958 2,889,091 Lattuca June 2, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 196,818 Austria Mar. 25, 1958 

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE FOR A GARMENT OF THE TYPE HAVING A COLLAR ATTACHED ALONG A FOLD LINE TO A NECKBAND AND WHICH COLLAR WHEN FOLDED OVER SAID NECKBAND ALONG SAID FOLD LINE PRESENTS SPACED COLLAR CAPE PORTIONS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A NECKTIE AREA, SAID DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING A BODY PORTION HAVING MEANS FOR BEING SECURED IN PLACE IN SAID NECKTIE AREA, A PAIR OF ARMS ON SAID BODY PORTION EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS THEREFROM AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND UNDER EACH COLLAR CAPE PORTION TO SAID FOLD LINE, AND IDENTICAL INVOLUTE CONE SHAPED CONFIGURATIONS FORMED ON THE SIDE EDGES OF THE ARMS REMOTE FROM THE SECURING MEANS ON THE BODY PORTION, EACH SAID CONFIGURATION HAVING AT LEAST ONE FULL INVOLUTE TURN FOR ITS ENTIRE LENGTH WHICH IS OF A DECREASING RADIUS IN THE DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID BODY PORTION, WHEREBY WEIGHT EXERTED ON THE COLLAR SUPPORT INCREASES THE NUMBER OF INVOLUTE TURNS OF EACH CONFIGURATION AND WHEN SAID WEIGHT IS REMOVED EACH CONFIGURATION UNWINDS TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION TO FUNCTION AS A RESILIENT SUPPORT PROVIDING A ROLL APPERANCE TO SAID COLLAR CAPE PORTIONS. 